Preview:Strasbourg vs Auxerre - prediction, team news, lineups

Strasbourg have the opportunity to put an end to their mini-drought in Ligue 1 as they welcome struggling Auxerre to Stade de la Meinau on Wednesday.

Le Racing have now gone two league games without victory, while the visitors have lost three of their last four outings.

Match preview

Just a week after letting a two-goal lead at Paris Saint-Germain slip to settle for a 3-3 draw, Strasbourg suffered a more painful outcome of dropping points from a winning position at Lyon.

Joaquin Panichelli had put Liam Rosenior’s men in front, only for them to be pegged back moments later, while Ismael Doukoure’s second-half dismissal did little to help matters as the visitors conceded a stoppage-time goal, leaving the Parc Olympique Lyonnais empty-handed.

The result also means Strasbourg are now winless in three games across the league and continental front, with a 1-1 home draw against Jagiellonia in the Conference League sandwiched between those two Ligue 1 fixtures.

While that defeat saw them drop four places from third to seventh, Le Racing are still enjoying a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign, collecting 16 points from nine league matches (W5, D1, L3) — three more than their tally at this stage last season.

That said, Strasbourg can be confident of getting back to winning ways on Wednesday as they return to Meinau, which has become a fortress with 10 victories from their last 15 top-flight fixtures, including three wins in four this term (L1).

Making a trip to the daunting Stade de la Meinau hardly comes at the right time for Auxerre, who extended their winless run to four with a 1-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Le Havre at the weekend.

Christophe Pelissier’s men have endured a turbulent start to 2025-26 with just two wins from nine matches, losing the second-most games in the division (6), while their seven points leave them in the relegation zone, only above bottom-placed Metz.

Auxerre’s biggest problem this season has been their bluntness in the final third, having found the net just seven times — the joint-second worst attack — though conceding 13 at the other end appears better than expected of a side in the bottom two, especially considering only eight teams have shipped fewer.

While AJA may look to rely on their relatively solid defence in search of a positive result, facing a Strasbourg side that triumphed in each of the last three meetings offers little encouragement for the visitors, who have conceded six and scored only once across that stretch.

Taking just one point from an available 12 on the road this season (D1, L3) also makes for grim reading, while the more superstitious among Auxerre’s faithful will hope their dreadful luck in Wednesday-held Ligue 1 fixtures does not continue, having suffered five straight defeats on that day.

Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:

Strasbourg form (all competitions):

Auxerre Ligue 1 form:

Team News

It is no surprise that Doukoure will serve a suspension for this game following his red card last time out, meaning Andrew Omobamidele is expected to partner Mamadou Sarr at the heart of defence.

Meanwhile, Emanuel Emegha (hamstring), Saidou Sow (cruciate ligament), Maxi Oyedele (muscle) and Abakar Sylla are all confirmed absentees through injuries, while former Chelsea full-back Ben Chilwell and Sam Amo-Ameyaw remain doubtful.

Panichelli has now found the net in four consecutive matches, including five in his last three Ligue 1 appearances, and the in-form striker will aim to continue his fine run here.

As for Auxerre, Telli Siwe appears to be the only absentee among those who have featured this season, with the centre-back unlikely to return before January.

Lassine Sinayoko (3) and Danny Namaso (2) have accounted for five of the visitors’ seven goals so far and will once again shoulder the attacking burden on Wednesday.

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:

Penders; Omobamidele, Hogsberg, Sarr; Moreira, Barco, Mourabet, Ouattara, Doue; Enciso, Panichelli

Auxerre possible starting lineup:

Leon; Sierralta, Senaya, Mensah; Akpa, Danois, Azzouzi, Casimir; Namaso, Mara, Sinayoko

We say: Strasbourg 2-0 Auxerre

Strasbourg enter this encounter as clear favourites, given their stronger campaign compared to Auxerre, their formidable home record and, to top it all, Le Racing’s dominance in this fixture — so victory for the hosts looks the likeliest outcome.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.